Happy Neighborhood Project Launches a Registry for Happy Businesses

    SACRAMENTO, CA, September 17, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A new company promoting businesses on the basis of their ability to spread happiness has been nominated for the Innovation in Business Award by the Sacramento Business Journal, 2018.

Most of us have a vague idea about what a happy business is—we know we'd rather go there than to an unhappy one, but this new company known as the Happy Neighborhood Project (HNP) is the first to define it: "It's a business that is committed to great customer service and encourages a positive work environment," says Edwin Edebiri, HNP's Chief Happiness Officer and founder.

A survey of small business owners done by Yodle found that 78 percent were concerned about negative reviews on online directories. Also, 43 percent of respondents said they felt online reviews were unfair, because there is no verification that the review is written by a legitimate customer. In other words, they feared that their competition could easily damage their reputation by writing a negative review.

In contrast, HNP has businesses take a pledge to follow the tenets they believe constitute a happy business, and they have their consumers pledge to "no public shaming", providing professionals to mitigate disputes in private. They are thereby creating a relationship that is less adversarial and more positive, which creates a win for consumers, businesses and the community.

By pulling the focus away from shame-based review systems, HNP is hoping to move the overall energy between a business and consumers toward cooperation and away from enmity: "Our goal is to humanize the review and feedback systems such that they are a tool for improvement instead of knee-jerk public-shaming," said Edebiri.

According to Harvard Business Review, Happy Businesses attract 37% more customers. The HNP registry showcases these committed businesses and makes it easier for consumers to find and experience them.

Happy Neighborhood's initial focus is the Greater Sacramento Region, and its next focus will be the San Francisco Bay Area, then nationwide. New businesses are added daily, and consumers are encouraged to be the judge by giving these businesses a visit at www.HappyNeighborhoodProject.com

# # #